Fonner Park: Diamond Joe to make 2013 debut in Ogataul Stakes

Diamond Joe will make his much-anticipated 2013 debut when a compact field of six older Nebraska-breds meet in the $25,000-added Ogataul Stakes going six furlongs at Fonner Park on Saturday.

As a 3-year-old last year, Diamond Joe attracted a bit of national attention when a he put together a nine-race win streak that ended with a disappointing effort in the Oklahoma Derby last fall. He won seven stakes during the streak in Nebraska, then added an allowance win at Remington while prepping for the Oklahoma Derby.

Trained by Chuck Turco, Diamond Joe will face older Nebraska-breds for the first time, including multiple stakes winners Bach’s Homebrew and Reach One More. The pair has dominated the older statebred ranks in recent years.

Bach’s Homebrew, trained by Larry Staroscik, is the defending champion in the Ogataul and captured the Big Red Mile at Lincoln Race Course last year. Bach’s Homebrew has put together a career mark of 14-5-1 from 25 starts. He was claimed by owner Tim Malette in his last start at Remington on Oct. 17 by trainer Lynn Chleborad and has been returned to Staroscik’s barn for his Nebraska campaign.

Reach One More is part of a coupled entry with From The Ashes for trainer David Anderson. Reach One More avenged his Ogataul loss last year with a win over Bach’s Homebrew in the Who Doctor Who Handicap at Horsemen’s Park in Omaha and took the H.B.P.A. Stakes at Lincoln Race Course. Reach One More owns a career mark of 13-3-3 from 22 starts and earnings of just less than $200,000.